The invention relates to power-driven bicycles, and in particular to an attachment for converting a conventional bicycle into a power-driven unit.
Previous devices for converting bicycles and the like into power-assisted units have often been relatively complex in design, installation, and operation. In many instances, prior art designs have involved motor controls and clutching systems which relied on Bowden cables or the like mounted along circuitous paths on a bicycle frame. Such arrangements added to the expense of the unit and required individual attention each time the motor was mounted or removed. This attention included separate mounting, removal, and/or adjustment whenever the motor was installed or removed for whatever reason. Oftentimes, prior motor conversion units have required welding brackets to the frame of a bicycle or other major modification of the frame.
Specially designed motors or motor housings proposed in the past for bicycle power conversion have been relatively expensive, due to limited manufacturing volume. Previous conversion units which utilized standard motor designs have been somewhat bulky and/or heavy, thereby adding significantly to the effort required to manually pedal and otherwise handle the bicycle. Known power conversion units which are adapted to drive the front wheel of a bicycle, although generally simplified in their control by virtue of being in arm's reach for direct control, are usually both noisy and noxious to the rider, who must trail the motor.